When environmental warriors fight… each other

posted at 7:01 pm on October 13, 2012 by Jazz Shaw

Considering a vacation next year? Perhaps a nice weekend at the lake would be nice. If so, maybe you’d like to consider Owens Lake in lovely Inyo County, California. But before you pack up your water skis, fishing pole or kayaks, you should understand that the “Lake” part of “Owens Lake” is something of an optimistic term.

Although water once flowed into the lake from the Owens River, the lake eventually became “possibly the greatest or most intense human-disturbed dust source on earth” (Todd Hinkley, reporting for the U.S. Geological Survey in the mid-1990s) after the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power (LADWP) diverted the lower Owens River to the Los Angeles aqueduct in 1913. Although a chain of wetlands lining the lake’s shores with water from springs and artesian wells kept some of the lake alive, windblown dust from the lakebed–a toxic cocktail of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and sulfates–has been found across the West. A 1999 Memorandum of Agreement with GBUAPCD, a 2003 State Implementation Plan, and an additional 2006 agreement between GBUAPCD and LADWP require Los Angeles to implement dust control measures on the lakebed in order to meet federal air quality standards, a goal for which the most recent deadline was 2010.

The aforementioned agreement for dust control and California’s air quality standards are at the heart of the showdown now taking place in Los Angeles. The lake has been essentially a dust bowl for a century now, and keeping all of that dust under control is an expensive proposition. (Letting the water flow back into the lake might solve everything, but it’s already too hard to find clean water in California as it is.) Now there has been a demand to control the dust coming off of an additional stretch of the former lake bed at a cost of nearly half a billion dollars and the DWP is crying fowl. Errr…. foul.

The Los Angeles Department of Water and Power filed a lawsuit Friday that would limit its spending on measures to stop massive dust storms at Owens Lake.

The agency argues that the Great Basin Unified Air Pollution Control District is unreasonable to order the DWP to eliminate dust on 2.9 miles of remote, geologically challenging lake bed.

The DWP has already spent $1.2 billion to fulfill a 1997 agreement with the air pollution district to combat the powder-fine dust from the dry Owens Lake bed. The agency has reduced particle air pollution by 90% by introducing vegetation, gravel and flooding into vast areas of the lake bed.

While hardly a hot topic in the current election cycle, this situation is no laughing matter. The west is dealing with the long term consequences of human environmental engineering where we probably didn’t fully understand the implications of some of the projects that were undertaken. Also, it’s no secret that Southern California uses massively more water than they can provide themselves, and the problem is only getting worse. One of these days the system is going to get too far out of balance to correct. At that point there may be no choice but to allow significant areas to return to their natural state, which is essentially a mix of desert and semi-arid hilly terrain.

…now look at the first few comments here!…Ric at Night is probably emailing Ed right now about the “violent rhetoric” emanating from this site!…I for one will stand against this type of vitriol and show some kinds of sensitivity!
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fluke off trolls!

I have a relative that lives in the small town of Lone Pine about 10 miles north of Owens Lake. As one drives by the former lake, it’s sad to see former docks and skeletons of boats that now sit in the middle of an arid wasteland miles from any open water. Dust from the lake bed is indeed a major health hazard to the scattered communities in the region that are inhabited mostly by very poor native Americans on long forgotten reservations.

Given the man-made environmental catastrophe that sits just a stones throw away from LA, it’s funny how Limousine Liberals in Hollywood don’t dare do anything that might threaten their lush lawns and manicured gardens. All they have to do is look out the window while they speed up to Mammoth Mountain for a week of skiing and partying to see the type of people and communities they claim to care about. Sadly, I guess the poor in the region just aren’t a good enough photo opportunity.

What to do with L.A.? Sounds like a joke question, but it actually has super serious implications for the rest of the country. That’s because the greater LA area is approaching soon to be over 70% Hispanic and much of that not legal, and the population is overloaded as the crowded freeways attest to, and a slight or large reduction in the water supply would necessitate a mass exodus from LA to… where? You guessed, wherever you are!

CA now has majority that are either Hispanic or so liberal that they believe illegals should be citizens immediately, and so CA has just months ago suspended the rights of local law enforcement to report illegals. In effect, there is now no effective enforcement of immigration laws. None.
Soon, CA will attempt to allow illegals from Mexico to stream freely across the border, and become instant citizens. This they will do this because a majority of the population, akin to Mexico, will want that. This is democracy, and though there is bound to be a fight with the feds on this, with the kowtowing to the Hispanic demographic that is apparently going on from both the left and right nationally, CA may very well succeed in its intention. The result is predictable.
The problem is that CA serves, and will serve, as a jumping off spot to other states. CA needs to be cordoned off from the rest of the country.

Give it back to Mexico. You don’t want these parasites moving to your state.

skanter on October 13, 2012 at 7:30 PM

Nope, don’t want to do that because then when those residents come to our states, they will be illegal immigrants and eligible for in-state tuition and other bennies. Nope, keep them part of the US and subject to out of state tuition.

SoCal should start (like 4 or 5 decades ago) desalination off that big ol’ lake to the west called the Pacific instead of poaching everybody else’s water. Shoot, build one big enough and sell water to Las Vegas and Phoenix while they’re at it. If’n the wackos will let ya get a pipe built.

Is it hilarious to anyone else that the EPA (or the state version, anyway) is about to regulate California out of existence? I find it hilarious, myself.

Warner Todd Huston on October 13, 2012 at 7:46 PM

haha well Todd! said-and true.

Funny, they try to protect mother nature..in turn they have effed with mother nature and shes mad.
Human environmental engineering disrupts the natural flow of things.
China is finding that out with their crisis of no woman bout a much of young horny angry men.

What to do with L.A.? Sounds like a joke question, but it actually has super serious implications for the rest of the country. That’s because the greater LA area is approaching soon to be over 70% Hispanic and much of that not legal, and the population is overloaded as the crowded freeways attest to, and a slight or large reduction in the water supply would necessitate a mass exodus from LA to… where? You guessed, wherever you are!

CA now has majority that are either Hispanic or so liberal that they believe illegals should be citizens immediately, and so CA has just months ago suspended the rights of local law enforcement to report illegals. In effect, there is now no effective enforcement of immigration laws. None.
Soon, CA will attempt to allow illegals from Mexico to stream freely across the border, and become instant citizens. This they will do this because a majority of the population, akin to Mexico, will want that. This is democracy, and though there is bound to be a fight with the feds on this, with the kowtowing to the Hispanic demographic that is apparently going on from both the left and right nationally, CA may very well succeed in its intention. The result is predictable.
The problem is that CA serves, and will serve, as a jumping off spot to other states. CA needs to be cordoned off from the rest of the country.

anotherJoe on October 13, 2012 at 7:34 PM

As bad as LA is, NorCal is way worse. Ever driven to Sebastopol? That little village for “intellectuals” for whom Berkeley and SF are not radical enough. When you enter it you see a prominent sign that says “Nuclear Free Zone”.

You’re right for the most past. Save for the part where CA is already making illegals into legals by way of driving license, which is pretty much all one needs to migrate to other states. These communist retards, both of legal and illegal type, have already invaded NV, CO and AZ in recent years and TX is not that far off when many IT companies migrate there after they destroyed what used to be known as CA.

Me too Pambi..I grew up driving through there 2 times a year as a kid.
I have told SWalker this and Jackie knows..we had the most incredible produce when I was a child..and produce stands that were glorious.
Good memories. As Palin says..all for bait fish.
Once an economic world leader…
I also remember when we had some oil riggs off the coast and always had occasional tar stains on my feet at the beach.
Jackie and I have fond memories..thats all they are now are memories. It saddens us. Cali was once a wonderful place. We lost our home.
You couldnt pay me to go back. How some of our friends here endure it..I dont know.
It started getting bad in the late 80’s- my mom moved us out and back to Fl.
Enviro’s have been getting bad here too..but nothing like there.

Someone will have to explain the issue in the first place. In a small plane at 10,000 ft in central Nevada I have seen wind pick up alkali in one valley and move it to another and over a lot more than three miles. Like a waterfall going uphill. Been going on for thousands of years. Hardly worth spending the money on.

Answer to this is simple, but the greenies won’t like this one either. Build lots of desalination plants for fresh water for the coastal cities, along with necessary power supplies, return the flow of the Owens river to it’s natural state. To pay for it, cut off welfare & prison costs for illegals. Bam! Lots of jobs created right there too!

There is a similar situation to the Owens valley happening in Nevada right now. Las Vegas is planning on building a pipeline from northern Nevada to Las Vegas.

haha..pick anyone of them..I will admit..I am not good with scripture anymore..sadly.

Might as well go off topic..being Sat night..and a topic few seem to care about. I do..I cause cause it was my home once upon a time. It really infuriates me..but a lost cause.

From your link-which we discussed a couple days ago on the thread-

“It’s quite possible that Clinton is the one the not only knew of the need for extra security for the Libyan ambassador, but that she made the decision to not provide it.”

I dunno if I believe that. Shillary..I may be giving her some benefit of the doubt here- I want to see it then..that she made that decision alone.

She has been quiet..almost muzzled for some time.. I think Zero keeps her under his command. She has looked like hell..and doesnt seem happy…
Yeah..shes an a$$ herself but it doent mean she is guilty or alone in it. It will be interesting how it plays out..if I were her..I would resign and blow the whistle. One thing..the Clinton’s aint stupid and they have enormous ego’s. Bill wont let zero put a stain on her dress…;) My take.

I didnt find him whimpy..but mature and forthright. Something we rarely see.
He acted like a man and with class. The liberals ate it up..the loud mouth bully, grinning idiot-rude. To them..thats a tough guy. That wasn’t tough to act like a un-classy jacka$$. Anyone can do that..jaunt down to your local bar.
I have worked for men like Joe..stupid,bullying, loud mouth jerks. Not impressive.
For Ryan to show such restraint against Joe and the moderator..that shows strength. I couldnt have done it..Ryan didnt bite when Joe rattled his cage. Joe’s the pig that wants you to join him in the mud.
I also find him gross and creepy. I see many women had the same reaction about him. The man has no honor.

There’s plenty of water and to spare falling on the Sierra every year. We harness very, very little of it, and the reason is enviro-Nazi infighting over the past 40-plus years.

The Owens “Lake” issue is its own deal, not emblematic of Western water projects. The projects require management, of course, and climate naturally shifts over time. We’ve been in a dry cycle, but there’s no reason to doubt that there’s a wetter one coming. It may not restore Owens Lake, which hasn’t been robust since the Little Ice Age ended in the mid-19th century, but it will keep Los Angelenos in drinking water and regular showers.

As Rush said the other day, “you have to call out a search party to find a Conservative in California.” There are actually quite a few Conservatives here, but we are in the interior. Most libs live on the coast in the big cities. If it weren’t for my work, I’d be out of here too, helping to balance out the libs who have fled and brought their stupid voting habits with them to ruin other states. I don’t know why LA doesn’t go with desalinization plants for water…oh yeah, that’s right, they will kill little fishies or something.

…now look at the first few comments here!…Ric at Night is probably emailing Ed right now about the “violent rhetoric” emanating from this site!…I for one will stand against this type of vitriol and show some kinds of sensitivity!
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fluke off trolls!

(more general murmurs of agreement)
Reg:
All right… all right… but apart from Apple Computers and medicine and education and agriculture and the ports and roads and the wine and The Rose Parade… what have the Californians done for us?

What Los Angeles has done to the rest of California and the West in its unending thirst for water borders on criminal behavior. They lecture the rest of us about being efficient and “green”, yet they’re the worst offenders.

Wall the place off and turn off their water, and let them fight to the death.

The whole state of California should be broken up into at least two states. I hope that is one of the conditions of their bailout (if we bail them out).

William Eaton on October 13, 2012 at 10:26 PM

No.

Two states would give them 4 senators.

On top of that… if we do bail them out… their congressmen/senators should have no voting weight until all debts are paid. There should be consequences for fiscal failure of this magnitude (and us having to cover for them as a result).

Now I suppose we’ll all be on the hook to build a few desalinization plants for LA because it is “too big to fail.” If the population in 1913 was too big for local water sources to support, why on earth was it allowed to grow to one of the biggest metropolitan areas on earth? I would say the same for Tuscon and Vegas. If you are straining to get water resources for existing residents, it is criminal to allow development to encourage new residents to move in. That is a consequence of progressivism. They need to keep expanding the tax base to support unsustainable programs. Now the progs are butting up against the enviros, this is fun.

Those are all dry lakebeds from eons ago when Nevada was an inland sea. When the Rockies sprung up, they isolated a chunk of sea, and it evaporated over thousands of years.. This article is talking about a freshwater lake that was drained by MAN 100 years ago. Now the environmental wacko loons in LA are complaining about other environmental wacko loons forcing unreasonable demands on them. Completely different scenarios: dry lakebed act of God, vs. dry lakebed act of man.

It’s already “a toxic cocktail of arsenic, cadmium, nickel, and sulfates” and “letting the water flow back into the lake might solve everything”? Divert the freshwater, dam the outflow, pump it full of seawater, problem solved.

The cost of dust remediation is a cost for using the water that should have flowed into the dry lake. The diversion of its tributary waters was already causing the lake water level to decline — from the wiki it appears that the lake has no effective outlet, i.e. it could overflow into the desert, but that’s about it and may have happened thousands of years ago — and the water department taking pretty much the rest resulted in much of the current problem.

I would be more sympathetic to the water department’s position if the area they are being required to remediate is outside of the area that was underwater when the diversion began. Then one might presume it was not their fault that dust came off THAT portion of the dry lake. Otherwise, welcome to the cost associated with “cheap” water.